Andrea Baker’s “Famous Rapes” series

Hi everyone,

my blog still sort of exists, apparently.

I’m finishing up a manuscript that is largely about the feminist theory of rape culture. It’ called “Starfucker” and some pertinent examples of the poems focusing on this subject can be found in issue #7 of Sugar House Review (which includes 5 of the poems from this manuscript, more than any other journal out there, I believe. I love Sugar House).

The reason for this post, though, is to spread word of the poet Andrea Baker’s project “Famous Rapes.” There are features having to do with it here and here at the Rumpus, which is a great literary spot all around. They’re subtle, well-handled, informative, interesting, saddening, brief little articles, and totally worth the time to read them. Important, too. The sort of articles that I would love to see everyone in our culture be exposed to. Andrea is apparently working on a manuscript called “Famous Rapes.” I’ve never heard of her before, but I definitely plan on contacting her and I will definitely be asking her to send that to me.

Rendering by Baker of Leda and the Swan rape of myth

So read them, see what you think and let me know, if you’re feeling ambitious.

Ooh, one more thing I just thought of: I just read Anne Marie Rooney’s book Spitshine.In terms of books that deal with being sexually diseased, this is a really interesting, potent, challenging one. Definitely relative to the Gurlesque writers, though I may be the first one to say that in print (digital print?). She was just part of a reading at our BONK! series here in Racine, with the touring poetry group Line Assembly. Here’s the video of the whole reading…Anne Marie is somewhere in the middle: